Hello August, Please Be Good To Me

Chapter 34: Four-Eyes

I'm at the Hourglass, accompanied by Justin, and my pounding heart. And I can't see a thing. My eyes are dilated, and though it's a process I've been through many times before, it's never feels comfortable. It's the blurry feeling you get from waking up in the morning, but instead of your eyes adjusting, they stay unfocused. Plus the funky paper shades they make you wear? They cut my ears, but they also protect me from squinting, so I'll take the lesser of two evils. Sure enough, my curiosity about whether my less than stellar eyesight was all in my head was no more make believe than Danté's new girlfriend (yes girlfriend, I checked. Her name is Alisha.)

I needed a designated driver, plus why wouldn't I want to hang with Justin? Sierra gave me her approval at my "changed attitude", as if I needed any flack from her...At the same time, it is nice to know she's not ragging on me and telling me about relationships when SHE'S the younger one. I lean across Justin, adjusting the ears on my stupid shades once again, while he plays some game on his phone. I can't see obviously. Everyone once in a while he turns his head and laughs at me, and I try and rearrange my face so it doesn't look like I'm frowning, even if I am. I lift my head and place my palm on his phone screen so he loses. Turns out he's not even playing a game.

"Hey!"

"Stop laughing at me," I say simply.

He gingerly removes my fingers one by one, placing my hand on his lap before kissing my cheek. I slap him on the shoulder before he tries to kiss my other cheek. He may be fine with people watching us, but I'm not keen on giving the kids and their parents here a show. Or even a sneak-peek. Justin sees my eyes slide over to the still blurry looking customers either sitting, standing, or walking around, and I see two heads turn quickly like they were watching. "Let 'em watch, they might even learn something..." he whispers in my ear, tickling me with his breath. I'm still skittish even a month into this relationship, and move back as he attempts to kiss me on the lips. I watch him watch me, as if trying to read something in my expression. Well, as well as someone can read another person's expression with shades.

I don't want Justin to start getting that worried expression, and thankfully I'm saved from trying to explain myself. My optometrist Dr. Young calls me in and tells me the inevitable: my eyesight has gotten worse over the course of a year. "Yes I'm blind as a bat," I joke dryly, but Dr. Young finds it amusing. "Don't act like you're alone," she tells me, sounding just like a mama. That doesn't surprise me because she has young twins and a fourteen year old son. She's shown me pictures of Jay and Oscar, and Thomas has come in to work with her before. "Glasses or glasses and contacts?" Dr. Young asks me, and I give her a knowing look. "Hey, just asking," she giggles, and I can't help laughing too. After she rights down my new prescription, I go out to meet Justin and view the glasses frames.

Instantly I search out the glass where the cheapest frames are, and start trying to find ones that match my now old ones. The man across the glass counter is helpful, and Justin glances from my side. "Can I try those?" I ask and point to a dark brown pair. The guy hands me the pair and I place them on my face, first turning to Justin for his opinion, then I glance in the mirror to see how it looks. I know I won't find a pair that's exactly like my old pair (I got those from Vison First), but I want to come pretty close. Soon, Justin catches on and tries to change my mind.

"What about those?" Justin asks me, pointing to a garnet colored pair of frames, more square shaped than rectangular, and I give him a look. "Yeah uhh, no, nope, no funky colors," as I'm saying this, the guy behind the counter is already pulling them out to hand to me. I hesitate, and Justin eggs me on. "Come on Love Song," he says and I snap them on. "Don't call me that," my automatic response comes out. I figure he won't call me that again if I put them on. The face I see looking at my from the mirror sure looks different with the squarer, dark red frames. It makes me look...older. But not in a bad way. I almost give off a college vibe. I reach to take them off, but Justin stops me. "Wait girl, let me see," he gently turns me around. He gives me the thumbs up. "That's the one. Get these." Up on the glass counter with me I already have three pairs of dark brown frames I similar enough to my old glasses, but Justin won't let me go without a fight.

"You're getting contacts as well?" the guy helping us asks me, looking up from some sheet of paper. "Oh no, nope just glasses," I say chipper, pointing to my collection of frames. The guy excuses himself to help another lady and lets us know he'll be back. "Why not?" Justin asks, and I start putting on the frames again, minus the red pair that I'm suddenly having second thoughts about. "Why not what?" I say, but I'm not convincing in my pretend oblivion. "No contacts. I mean I like you either way," he says taking the glasses and sliding them all towards him. "I don't like putting anything near my eye," I lie, but Justin doesn't buy it. "Buy the red ones," he says and leans on me. "Hey, it's my face and I'm getting these!"

I'm still trying to understand what's happened when an hour later, my glasses are ready and I'm wearing the red frames, and Justin is looking a little too proud."Think of it as getting out of your comfort zone," Justin says, and I grunt.I'm a little mad too. "Hey, I think red makes you look hot." If he was looking for a response he got one. I take the bag part of my crossbody and smack him with it. "I don't wanna look hot,"and I really don't. Hot is for people who graciously own up to their good looks. I'm not a part of that club. Justin chooses that moment to grab my hand and hold it firmly, almost as if he's read my thoughts.